


Adrift in Time

by victoire black (victoireblack)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Background Relationships, Draco Malfoy Redemption, Drama, Drama & Romance, Dumbledore's Army, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fix-It, Good Draco Malfoy, HEA, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Hogwarts Fifth Year, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), POV Draco Malfoy, POV Hermione Granger, Post-Betrayal, Slow Burn, Spy Draco Malfoy, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Time Travel, Time Turner (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:42:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29672994
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/victoireblack/pseuds/victoire%20black
Summary: When Draco Malfoy realizes the mistake he's made by turning in the Golden Trio-resulting in Hermione's death-, help comes in the shape of a time turner. He is sent back to September 1, 1995 where he tries to change the course of the war for the better. With all of the information he has now, Draco must find a way to earn the trust of Harry Potter while protecting himself, his family, and more importantly, her.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 14
Kudos: 55





	1. Anguish

**Author's Note:**

> The following is an idea I've had bouncing around in my head for years. It is only now that I've dedicated time to write it all down.  
> Any mistakes are my own and I don't own the characters used.  
> Some dialogue in this chapter was taken out of HPatDH.  
> This is my first published work so reviews and comments are appreciated.  
> I love you guys, enjoy!

**March 31, 1998**

He heard the muffled yells first. They ricocheted in his head like spells from the shield of a protego charm. And they could only mean one thing. They'd been found. Draco stepped out of the library and headed down the hallway towards the drawing room. The Manor eerily quiet as most of the Death Eaters were on separate missions. The various whispers from the portraits on the walls were too loud for the blond as he walked towards the set of heavy double doors.

His heart was pounding in his ears despite trying to maintain his cold exterior. Books closed and were put into shelves high up in his mind. He focused on getting rid of any trace of camaraderie or friendship (not that there was much, to begin with) between himself and the trio that he was sure lay on the other side of the door. Draco scoured his mind for any possible weakness; each time he found one he'd place it on a page and bind it to a book only to then secure it on the shelf just like Severus had taught him. His occlumency had been improving over the last year and although he still faltered, he needed to keep on practicing. He needed to succeed. He needed to stay alive.

With his newly acquired blank stare and seemingly uncaring stance, he walked up to the heavy oak doors. He stilled for a moment; listening. _Fenir Greyback_. Draco thought as the voices tried to carry through to the other side of the doors. The side he was on. Just then a pale faced Narcissa Malfoy stood at the entrance to the room and called him inside. His mother was the image of elegance and poise but the slight tremble in her hand betrayed her calm disposition.

Draco glided into the room with an air of confidence. His right arm was extended behind his mother, guiding her into the room— keeping her safe— before stepping away with a quick and reassuring squeeze to her shoulder. Grey eyes met black ones as he stared at Fenir Greyback. Out of his peripheral, he could make out his father, Scabior, and a number of other prisoners tied together. However, he refused to focus on the three familiar figures to the right of the inquiring werewolf.

"Well, boy?" the werewolf asked in a way that made a shiver run down Draco's back. Greyback nodded towards the group and the boy had no choice but to look at them. And they looked horrid. The redhead was undoubtedly Weasley although the dirt on his face and clothing disguised him at least somewhat. Not to mention the quickly forming bruise thanks to a nasty punch to the face. The hair, however, was much harder to conceal. The same could be said for Granger. Although she looked more like herself than her two companions. But Potter— or at least who he believed to be the boy-who-lived— on the other hand, was drastically changed. His face looked to be stung by a dozen bees and his black hair was longer, dirtier, and more disheveled than usual. Distracting, but not enough to make him believe otherwise. This was who they were looking for.

"Well, Draco?" His father said in a bored tone. He turned around and met grey eyes to blue. To very impatient blue. Draco immediately turned back around to the subjects in question making eye contact with each, if at the very least for a second. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"

_Of course, it is._

"I- I can't- I can't be sure," he replied. Greyback's snarl just threatening enough to make him back up a few steps, his mental shield faltering.

 _Focus, Draco. You're higher in His ranks. He cannot touch you._ He thought of a book. He thought of a shelf. The blond opened his eyes (he couldn't recall closing them) and tried to focus.

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer," Lucius said and held out his arm to him. His voice was getting louder.

 _He's getting excited. This is all a game to him_. Draco felt sick. Voldemort would be here soon and this little game would be over. _Page. Thread. Book. Shelf._ He cleared his throat and went to speak before his father cut him off again. This time whispering in his ear.

"Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiven."

Draco's eyes flashed over to his father. He's right Draco. He will take this as a sign of compliance. Repentance. The living hell they'd had to live in for almost a year could certainly be forgotten if they turned them in. These people had almost gotten his father killed. Because of them, Voldemort was now in possession of his father's own wand. Their rank in His army had fallen because these "brave little Gryffindors" had decided to bring along some friends to what was meant to be an easy recovery mission for whatever they needed from the Department of Mysteries. The words exchanged between his father and Greyback were not of real importance to him. He wanted to survive this fucking war. He was a Slytherin goddamn it! And his self-preservation was of utmost importance to him.

Furthermore, Draco didn't even want to imagine what the Dark Lord would do to his family if they let Potter get away. Death would be the least of their worries. Family was the most important thing to a Malfoy and he wouldn't jeopardize them because of the boy-who-couldn't-fucking-die. Family always came first. And they could go to hell for all he cared if that meant the Malfoy family could live.

"…Draco, come here, look properly! What do you think?" His father motioned for him to get closer to the trio. His steps were slow and steady as he followed the command. The blond looked them over as if analyzing them to be sure. In reality, he was trying to keep all of his books on the shelf. _Compartmentalize. You can do this._ He made eye contact with Granger. The books on his shelves toppled over. And that had to be the only reason for the sharp pang of guilt when he replied: yes, that's him. Draco stepped away from them to join his mother, avoiding eye contact with the three of them. _Coward_!

A triumphant Lucius walked away from the group and was already pulling up his sleeve to summon the Dark Lord when the doors burst open once again. Draco didn't even have to turn to confirm who the newest addition to the drawing room was; the coldness in the air said it all.

"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?" a sharp voice called out. His aunt Bella stepped into the room with a twisted smile. Azkaban had not treated her kindly. Her hair was a raging mane crackling with magic, her grey eyes were wild, and her small frame and pale complexion were comparable to those of an inferi. She was utterly and perfectly terrifying.

"We've caught Potter," he said trying to sound smug. He plastered an easy smile onto his face to try and get rid of the witch. But that wouldn't happen. The Black family was known to be the toss of a coin between being batshit crazy or just plain cunning. Bellatrix, however, was both; and that fact alone is what made her so dangerous. Bellatrix giggled and backed away to look at the trio all the better. She cocked her head, sighed, and licked her lips resembling a wolf eyeing three helpless rabbits.

"Potter? Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!" His aunt peeled back her sleeve, proudly showing off the branding of Voldemort's servants. The Dark Mark twisted as it felt the magic just out of reach when Lucius's hand shot out and grabbed a hold of her wrist. The maneuver prevented Bella's wand from touching the Mark. And she furiously turned around to face him. The fire in her eyes flashed dangerously and she tried to wrench free from his firm hold without much success.

"I was about to call him! _I_ shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority—"

"Your authority?" the black-haired witch cried with a laugh. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! Take your hand off me!" She sneered. Once again she pulled away from his father— this time she was victorious. Greyback cleared his throat and pointed out that his team was responsible for the capture of Harry Potter and his friends. Draco rolled his eyes. It was a complete mystery to him how the werewolf still didn't know how to keep his insufferable mouth shut. His point once again validated when he asked for compensation. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold?"

"Draco, call Him," Lucius commanded. He hesitated. Eyes traveling over to his aunt in case of any hexes to be thrown his way. He saw her own grey irises stray away from his and he let out a long breath.

His wand was mere centimeters from his own Mark when she suddenly exploded. "STOP!" his aunt shrieked. Draco froze, eyes wide. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!" Confused, the blond followed her gaze until it landed on Greyback— or rather what he had slung across his back. Bellatrix prowled closer to him, her wand pointed and her eyes flashing with anger and terror. _Terror? Oh fuck._

Bellatrix's long strides had her in front of Greyback in mere seconds. Draco pulled down his sleeve and straightened himself out. His eyes caught desperate brown before turning away from her and focusing on his aunt.

"Give it to me," she demanded her wand digging into his throat.

"It's not yours, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it." Bellatrix sneered and a flash of red illuminated the room and a Snatcher fell to the floor.

 _Shit_.

"Don't make me ask again, Fenir," she spat before sending out another stunning spell sending the Snatcher closest to his mother to the ground.

"Shit!" Draco muttered stepping in front of his mother, wand raised, ready to protect her from any more wayward spells. Another blazing red light shot out of Bellatrix's wand and a third Snatcher dropped with a thud. Scabior drew his own wand but was too late for his aunt had already yelled: stupefy. The four men lay motionless on the floor while Bella's eyes were trained on Fenir Greyback, forcing him to his knees. The interrogation was quick and fruitless: the Gryffindors had been the ones traveling with the sword.

"Draco, move this scum outside," his aunt commanded him with a dismissive wave of her hand. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

"Don't you _dare_ speak to Draco like that, Bellatrix," his mom furiously spat from behind him.

"Be quiet!" Bella shouted. "The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Cissy! We have a very serious problem." She took a deep breath. Her face relaxing into a smirk. "But, I think Draco needs a _reminder_ of what is at risk," her voice got dangerously quiet and Draco blanched. Narcissa looked outraged.

"You will not hurt my son, Bella," his mother seethed.

"Cissy, he just needs to learn what he's expected to do," she replied with a pout. A smirk grew on her face as she turned back to the prisoners. "The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do," Bella motioned over to Greyback. The big werewolf was making his way over to them when Narcissa's hand shot out, stopping him in his tracks.

"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my—"

"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix. She was starting to feel very irritable. Her black curls were sparking with fleeting magic and the air felt charged with the same. A spark shot out of her wand and scorched the carpet beneath her feet. Narcissa's gaze flickered down to the scorch mark before returning to her sister's crazed face.

"Take the prisoners to the cellar, Greyback."

Bellatrix's smile widened as she stepped even closer to the trio. She ran her wand through Granger's hair before grabbing a hold of the rope tying her wrists. "All except… except for the Mudblood." She pulled her away from the group and sliced the rope connecting her to the others with a thin, silver knife she drew from her robes.

Granger's jaw was tightly set. Bellatrix ran the knife down, tickling her throat. And while Granger shook, her stare never faltered from his aunt's face. _Stubborn little witch. These damn Gryffindors._ Draco moved a little closer to the duo.

"No! You can have me. Please take me!" Weasley began struggling against Greyback's tight grip pleading for Bellatrix to reconsider. His aunt walked over to him before raising a hand and bringing it down across his face with a heavy blow. Blood trickled from the side of his parted lip. His gaze was hard and his mouth in a tight frown.

"Don't worry," she said, suddenly grabbing and turning Granger around so her back was pressed against her. At this angle, the redhead could see both of them clearly. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. After all, Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book," Bella giggled and pushed the girl away sending her tumbling onto the floor. "Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure but do nothing more to them— yet."

Greyback nodded and starting guiding the prisoners downstairs. Draco could hear the yells and thrashes of the two Gryffindors as they exited the room and started descending the stairs from the servant's corridor. He tried to avoid eye contact with the girl on the floor as he tried desperately to stuff everything back unto the pages of his books before putting them on the highest shelf.

"Where did you get this sword?" Bellatrix asked Hermione. The girl was on the ground staring defiantly up at the witch. She didn't answer. Bellatrix frowned and tsked. She jumped on top of the girl and pushed her down. Her knife quickly cutting her free of her bindings before finding a place on the crook of her neck.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?!" Bella shrieked taking the knife and lightly nipping at her neck. Draco could see the beads of crimson blood forming even from where he stood.

"We found it— we found it— PLEASE!" the girl cried. Bellatrix grunted in frustration and stood up. In one fluid motion she took out her wand, aimed it at the girl, and shouted:

"CRUCIO!"

The most bloodcurdling scream came out of her throat. Draco could tell that she had shredded her vocal cords. He also knew that the more one fought against it, the more the curse took hold of you. He knew this from experience. And knowing her- she was fighting a hell of a lot.

_Stupid girl. Just say where you got the bloody sword._

Bellatrix dropped the curse and ran both of her hands through her hair in desperation. "You lying little Mudblood bitch! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" Her arm was raised once again but stopped short. His aunt frantically turned around searching for him. "Draco, earn your place. You know what to do," she hissed.

Draco's eyes flew towards his aunt who in reply just arched a brow back at him. "What? Don't have the guts?" She taunted. _Pages. Books. Shelves._ Draco glared at her and straightened his back. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out his hawthorn wand. With a steady hand, he aimed it at Granger before taking a deep breath. Books. Shelves. He hesitated. Behind his wand, Hermione lay crying and shaking. Her shining, doe eyes wide and pleading.

"Please, Draco, I know you're better than this. Please don't," she whimpered. Draco closed his eyes. _You have to mean it. You have to mean it. If you don't, she'll get worse from Bella. Mean it!_ "Draco, I'm begging you plea—"

"CRUCIO!" He yelled. She screamed. Bellatrix laughed.

"Oh, my dear nephew! Yes, make her suffer what she's done," Bella said gleefully. He wasn't sure how long he'd held the unforgivable for, but by the end, her screams were nothing more than hoarse sounds coming from her throat. "What else did you take?" His aunt asked dangerously.

"N-nothing," Granger whispered. _Wrong answer_. Bella moved, blocking the girl from Draco's sight, and for that, he was grateful. He backed away from the scene and took hold of the fireplace banister. He dug his nails into the cool granite as he heard Bellatrix yell again. He was shaking slightly and could see his father eyeing him disappointingly. Draco could only hear Bellatrix behind him. Half of him hoped she had died and wouldn't have to suffer. The other half hoped for her to survive and help end this nightmare. He couldn't bear the uncertainty and turned around.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!" A silent scream tore through her throat once again as she writhed and trashed on the floor. No answer came. His aunt threw her wand down and resumed her position on top of Hermione with the silver knife in hand.

Draco couldn't tear his eyes away from them. Bindings were coming undone. Pages were being torn out. There were books everywhere. He tried to put them all back together and on the shelves but it was useless. They were coming down too fast. He was drowning. He couldn't breathe. He gripped the banister for support once more.

Bellatrix grabbed hold of a weak arm and held it in place with one hand while the other placed the tip on her forearm. "What else did you take?" She whispered dangerously. Granger shook her head. And although her mouth was moving, words would come out. Bella dug the knife in and started to drag the blade downwards making a single line. This, however, was enough to pull a loud shriek from the girl and she started thrashing around underneath the crazed witch.

"Was it gold?" She made another cut.

"Maybe rubies?" She dragged the blade down again. A crooked "M" was now carved into her skin. Draco paled. This was too much. He looked as Hermione screamed once again from the pain of the cursed blade. Each question with an unsatisfying answer earned her another cut.

Bellatrix took her time carving her until she had a lopsided "MUDBLOOD" written on her previously unblemished skin. Granger lay limp on the floor. Satisfied, Bellatrix got up and motioned to Greyback.

"Bring up the goblin. I need to check if the sword is real or not," she instructed. Greyback nodded and started walking away. "And, Greyback," she called after him. "Take the Mudblood if you want her." A crude smile appeared on his face. Draco's eyes widened with understanding. He stepped forward to intervene when the door flung open and Weasley came barging in— a wand in his hand.

"NO!" He cried with his wand pointed at Bellatrix. "Expelliarmus!"

Bella's wand was sent flying into the hands of Potter who had followed close behind. "Stupefy!" He yelled and a beam of red light hit his father. Draco took a defensive stand and stared firing at Harry.

"Expelliarmus!" Draco's own wand was raised and jets of lights flew directed at Potter. Family first. He could hear his mother dueling with another as he tried to fight off Potter. A beam of yellow came hurling towards him and he dove to the floor just before it hit him. He fired a "Sectumsempra!" Before putting up his own shield. The boy rolled over and used an armchair as cover before taking in the scene. Lucius was down on the floor, stunned. His mother was dueling with Potter while Greyback fought off Weasley. A jet of red light suddenly hit the werewolf square in the chest and he fell to the floor. Draco stood up and fired at the redhead, trying to keep him from dueling his mother. He noticed Bellatrix kneel down next to Greyback's stunned body and pick up his wand before pointing it at the girl on the floor.

The rage in her eyes was evident as she yelled.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" And Hermione dropped to the floor like a rag doll. A scream tore from Weasley's throat as Harry looked stunned by what had just happened. No one moved. Narcissa brushed a strand of hair away from her face as she stared at the lifeless Gryffindor on the floor of her drawing room.

A small pop was heard as one of his old house elves appeared in front of Potter. "Dobby has come to save Harry Potter, of course. Dobby will always save Harry Potter," he exclaimed before grabbing on to Weasley and Potter. Bellatrix waved her wand sending a green light their way but they whirled away before it hit them. Nobody was quick enough to stop them. She screamed in frustration and stormed out of the room. Leaving Granger behind broken and bleeding on the drawing room carpet.

Cold water hit his face. At least he could feel the drops that trickled down from his brow to his chin. Draco looked his reflection in the eye. His hair was disheveled from running his hands through it, his eyes were red from crying, his face pale and haunted from seeing death in his own house. A feeling of disgust rose in his throat by just looking at himself. He furiously punched the mirror with all his might; shards of glass went flying everywhere. Small particles stuck in his skin, drawing up small beads of blood. Bright. Red. Blood. The same color as hers. He felt numb all over.

_"Please, Draco, I know you're better than this. Please don't."_

_"Draco, I'm begging you plea—"_

_"CRUCIO"_

_She screamed._

The bile which rose in his throat went quickly into the sink. The boy wiped away the sick with the back of his hand before crumpling up on the floor. Draco shook and let the tears flow. He couldn't do this anymore. He was a seventeen year old boy who wanted to live his life. He knew he needed to keep his family safe, no matter what. But he also knew that even though he believed he was on the winning side of this war, there had to be something he could do to help. A way of repenting for what he did to her.

The pitiful reality of it all got to him. All of a sudden, he started to laugh. _Imagine, a Slytherin in love with a Mudblood. How pathetic._ And he'd even almost killed her! She's gone. Draco's laughter grew more and more until eventually turning into a sob. In love with a Mudblood… He needed to do something. Tell someone. _Pages. Books. Shelves…_ Occlumency was his savior right now without it he'd be in complete shambles. _Compartmentalize_ \- _Severus_. He needed to see his Godfather.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to review and comment my loves!


	2. Anew

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to thank you all for your wonderful comments. It seriously made my day! I've been planning on writing my own Dramione for years and I couldn't be happier with how it's going. I love you all and I hope you're as ready for this crazy ride as I am!

**April 1, 1998**

Draco was back at Hogwarts. He’d arrived early that morning by floo, directly to Snape’s office. His mother hadn’t even questioned the reason for his early departure. Instead, she’d hugged him tightly as he sobbed. She whispered in his ear that everything would be alright and he had just held onto her even tighter and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck; like when he was younger. She knew that the “stress”—that’s what she called it— of it all was affecting him mentally. And they didn’t speak a word of it since. Instead, she’d fire-called Severus and set up a time for him to travel back to the castle. However, when he arrived, Severus was nowhere to be found. So instead of waiting for the Headmaster to appear, Draco decided to go down to his dorm.

Thus, at the moment, he sat alone in the Slytherin common room staring out the window into a bleak, grayish-green lake. He would occasionally spot the Giant Squid swimming happily around as it was rather shy; and so the lack of students allowed it the freedom to make several laps around the lake. without disruption. He’d seen some merpeople swimming by. Several would make eye contact and glare back at him. He had even counted the fish that swam by (3,482 to be exact) and their different colors. Anything to keep his mind off of the grim events of yesterday which kept replaying in his mind. Events that he allowed to happen.

_“Draco, I’m begging you plea—”_

_Amber eyes met grey._

_“CRUCIO!”_

Draco blinked. _Damn it. I lost my concentration._ His books had toppled over and their contents invaded his mind. His eyes were rather dry and red from the last two days and his newfound insomnia didn’t make it any better. He sat up and hand both hands through his hair in exasperation. Ever since yesterday, his occlumency had been failing him. And if this problem continued, it would be dangerous for a lot of people. The books in his mind bore testimony of things the Dark Lord shouldn’t see with a simple stab at his thoughts. He knew he needed to talk to Snape.

Draco stood up and with a last glance at the squid, made his way towards the common room door. He walked out of the common room and started up the first flight of stairs. The castle felt hollow. No ghosts wandered the halls and most portraits were sleeping or out of their frames. The soft echo of his footsteps was the only noise heard throughout the dungeons. Hogwarts had always felt more like home than the manor. However, after the incident last June with Death Eaters, he could feel the castle reject him and his magic. He no longer felt the warm embrace of a home, but the cold air of a prison.

The blond continued to climb up to the main floor and past the Great Hall. The hallways were completely empty and eerily quiet. Students wouldn’t be getting back for another 3 days and the Hogwarts staff was busy preparing everything for the last few months of classes. Not even Mrs. Norris nor Filch caught him as he made his way up further to the Headmaster’s office. And of the students that had stayed behind, none were in his own house. As a matter of fact, Draco assumed all of them were in their own common rooms catching up on homework and enjoying the rare silence in Hogwarts.

The staircase he was on suddenly shifted leading him to a corridor on the fourth floor instead of his desired destination. “Stupid fucking stairs,” he muttered under his breath as he waited for a moving staircase to come and allow him to leave the godforsaken corridor. After a minute, he was able to continue his trek to Severus’ office. Finally, Draco stopped in front of the chipping gargoyle statue who just stared blankly back at him. “Password?” It crowed.

“Is this really necessary?” He prodded back. He didn’t come all the way up here just to go back down to the dungeons because of a stupid gargoyle.

“No password, no entry,” it replied haughtily. Draco let out an irritated sigh. _Shit_. Draco was starting to get irked. He ran one hand through his blond hair (hair which was now disheveled from the newly acquired anxious habit). He was about to try and guess the password when he heard heavy footsteps behind him.

“Is there a problem Mr. Malfoy?” A drawling voice spoke up. He didn’t need to turn around to know who the speaker was. But the gaze of his former professor on his back prompted him to turn around and face Severus Snape. Draco glared at the gargoyle and he could almost hear the statue smirk.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” He asked it. “He wasn’t even in there?” Draco scoffed.

“You never asked” the gargoyle replied. Draco was about to say something not quite nice back when the Headmaster interrupted him with a clear of his throat.

“I presume you came back early to speak to me about something important?” He said as he walked up to the Gargoyle. “Of the Valley,” he said to the statue who moved to reveal the stairs. Draco followed him up trying to find a way to bring up the subject.

“Yes, I believe you know about Granger?” He finally asked. He knew Severus knew. Of course, he did. Why wouldn’t he? He was definitely close to Bellatrix in ranks and he knew for a fact that she’d been castigated for letting Potter go. Voldemort probably favored Snape over anyone at the moment.

“An unfortunate incident really.” He said, avoiding eye contact with the boy. He was walking over to his desk when Draco piped up again.

“Headmaster, I have a question. Does lo-,” Draco faltered. “-Do strong feelings impair occlumency?”

Snape stopped in his tracks. Draco could see his breathing quicken a bit. He shouldn’t have said anything. This was too dangerous. But it was either risking himself or his family. And he knew what he would choose if it came to it. _I’m starting to sound like a fucking Gryffindor._

“Why is this of relevance to the situation, Mr. Malfoy?” He drawled in a low voice. Draco couldn’t think of a believable answer. He mentally berated himself for not thinking this through. He was supposed to be smarter than this. _Pages. Books. Shelves._

“Mr. Malfoy?” The Headmaster asked. “Why does it matter?” Snape turned around slowly, making eye contact with the young heir.

“Because I can’t put up my mental shield… since- since Bella killed _her_ ,” Draco said in a soft voice, looking down. He couldn’t bear seeing the expression in Snape’s eyes. However, when he looked up, he could see no judgement in the deep onyx. But a sort of.. sympathy?

“I think you have a big complicated problem, Draco,” Snape said taking a seat in his large chair. He sat underneath a newly put up portrait of Dumbledore who luckily, wasn’t there to hear the conversation. Draco was thankful for it too. For he didn’t know how he’d be able to stomach coming face to face with the man he almost killed.

“You don’t say,” Draco sighed out. He took his own seat in front of Snape and dropped his head to his hands. “I’m utterly fucked, Severus.” The potion’s master pursed his lips at the foul language and let out a long breath.

“Mr. Malfoy,” he paused, willing Draco’s grey eyes to meet his black ones. “Perhaps, a story will help you better understand your situation. So, I’m going to tell you a story about a lioness and a snake.” Snape started. He lifted his wand and silenced the room with a flick. “You see, several years ago there was a lion cub and a snake who were raised by a herd of gazelles. The two were the best of friends but the gazelles made fun of them because, well, they were different. However, they both bonded due to the fact that they both had fangs. They played together every day. Growing up, little by little. One day, the lioness met more lions and the snake met more snakes-”

“Severus, I don’t think this-” Draco tried to interfere only to be silenced by a look from the man in front of him.

“Mr. Malfoy, I believe you will find this story to be highly educational. Even though it may be familiar. So please, be quiet,” he said cooly.

“The lions didn’t exactly like the snakes or vice versa. Nevertheless, the lioness and the snake stayed friends for a long time. Until one day, the snake bit the lioness in an act of revenge. It was a lapse of judgment, and he tried to apologize, but his venom was already working its way through the lioness and she could feel it. She never thought he would be capable of poisoning her and she was resentful. The snake was not ashamed of being a snake. Nor was he ashamed of his fangs. But he was ashamed about the way he acted to the lioness he loved for such a long time,” Snape’s voice died out. He cleared his throat before finishing his story. “The lioness never befriended him again. She found another lion and fell in love. Thus, leaving the snake alone to live with his guilt and the other snakes forever.”

“Severus, I don’t think you have to communicate with young Mr. Malfoy through made-up stories.” Draco looked up behind Snape’s shoulder to see Dumbledore’s portrait looking down at them both. Snape scoffed before turning around to face him.

“Bold of you to say such a thing considering you sent our only hope of salvation running around like headless chickens looking for a fairytale,” he sneered. Dumbledore simply regarded him with a kind stare before speaking up again.

“Perhaps,” he shrugged. “But Draco here is too wise for such tales.”

“And young Miss Granger isn’t?” Severus quipped back. Draco’s wide eyes were glued to the portrait of his late Headmaster. A pang of guilt and regret ran through him as he recalled the night up at the astronomy tower last year.

“You and I both know that Miss Granger needed to be kept occupied and intrigued in the Deathly Hallows to succeed in finding them,” Dumbledore replied calmly.

“You sent them toward their death, Albus,” Snape replied irritably. “One of them is already gone, are you willing to sacrifice Weasley too?” Dumbledore stilled in his frame and gaped lightly. He peered down at Snape, clearly frustrated that he didn’t know that Hermione had been killed the day before. He opened his mouth to speak when Draco interrupted. _Pages. Bindings. Books. Shelves._

“Severus, I need help.” His voice was pleading and he felt utterly lost. He tried to avoid the portrait’s gaze but it was futile. His eyes met the ones on the canvas and Draco’s shield crumpled. “I have already poisoned the lioness. And there’s nothing I can do.”

Snape turned away from Dumbledore and regained his composure. “Perhaps, Mr. Malfoy, your lioness doesn’t have to die,” he replied. The current Headmaster stood up and started walking towards a large and ornate credenza on the opposite side of the room.

“It’s a little late for that,” Draco laughed bitterly. His eyes curiously following Snape while also consciously avoiding Dumbledore’s inanimate gaze which he could feel focused on his person.

“Draco, when I became your Godfather, I promised Lucius to take care of you,” Severus started as he reached out to pull open a drawer. He pulled out a small silver box.

“Severus, what do you think you’re doing?” Albus’s voice rang out in an unfamiliar cold and demanding tone. Draco’s interest peaked.

“What is that?” He asked. Snape neglected to acknowledge both, the child and the portrait as he continued his previous statement.

“Taking care of you means making sure you live. _No matter what_ ,” He said placing a heavy emphasis on the latter. He sat back down and placed the silver box in front of Draco, prompting him to open it.

“Severus,” Dumbledore warned. Severus looked up at the painting and arched a brow.

“I think this to be quite an emergency, Albus. Wouldn’t you agree?” He said in an unperturbed manner. Draco reached out for the box and took it in. It was quite small, about the size of a ring box. He twirled it around in his hands looking for any engravings or hints about what it may contain.

“He’s just a _child_ , Severus,” Dumbledore snapped. Snape scoffed in reply and stood up.

“So is Harry Potter. And you’re sending him to die at the hands of The Dark Lord! You’ve been raising him like a pig for slaughter since he was a baby,” Snape seethed back. Dumbledore didn’t reply to this. He looked furious and Draco was sure that if the portrait were able to perform magic, Snape would have been jinxed and even perhaps cursed by this point. The potions master glared right back at Dumbledore with fury. Malfoy, however, tried to piece together what Snape had just said about Potter.

_Raised him like a pig for slaughter? What does that mean? The Dark Lord will kill him? I must have misheard because there’s no way Dumbledore would want Harry to die. Right?_

Draco glanced back at Severus who had now turned back around to face him. He nodded slightly and the blond opened the small box. His gaze hardened as he saw what lay inside: a time turner. However, this wasn’t like the others his father had shown him in the Ministry. This one was silver instead of gold and quite a bit smaller. The sand inside looked like glitter and it had a very unique blue hue to it. Carefully, Draco pulled it out of the box to inspect it further. It had several runes engraved into the metal. One of which read: _commutationem animarum._ A phrase which roughly translated to- _Exchange of souls?_

“Exchange of souls? Why do you have this?” He asked. His eyes flew to his Godfather’s face. A time turner? Sure, he could see Severus housing an illegal time turner. But this was no ordinary time turner. He could feel the magic pulsating around it. Luring him in. This was dangerous.

“When Albus died, he entrusted me with this device,” Snape said. Dumbledore glared down at him. “It’s not a regular time turner as you have seen. Exchange of souls. You essentially exchange places with yourself at the time. Some foolish wizards have used it for immortality which is the reason why the one in your hands is the last one of its kind. And even though I am a stupidly stubborn snake who would want his lioness back, I can’t risk the opportunity to destroy the Dark Lord. No matter how much I loved her.” His voice dropped. “I can’t risk not having Harry Potter as _The Chosen One_.”

“And what do you want me to do?” Draco asked apprehensively. His eyes drifted back to the object in his hands. The answer was obvious. Especially considering Dumbledore’s reaction. But Draco wanted to hear Severus tell him the plan. He _needed_ to hear this plan and make sure he wasn’t going mental.

“Simple. Go back in time and use your knowledge of the future to derail this unfortunate sequence of events from happening,” Severus’ calm voice informed him. “Get Potter to trust you and prevent Miss Granger from dying. Defeat the Dark Lord.”

“No!” Draco objected. “I’m not doing this. I can’t risk going back in time!” He pushed away from the table and stood up. The time turner dangling dangerously from his hand as he paced the room resembling a caged lion. “Not even if it means losing her forever,” he added solemnly.

“You cannot possibly be this dense, Draco!” Severus interjected with an emphatic wave of his hands. “We both know he can’t make it much longer without Ms. Granger by his side. We _need_ her.”

He had a point. Draco knew that even though he was utterly insufferable, Harry Potter had a knack for running towards danger. Hermione seemed to be what kept him alive half the time. And now, without her, there was no doubt that soon the-boy-who-lived would live no more. Draco grunted in frustration and ran his free hand through his hair. _I’m not going to do this._

“I know I’m a coward, Severus,” Draco sighed in defeat. “But I will not risk my life going back. I will not risk my family’s life _. Her_ life. Especially if there’s a chance nothing will change at all. Or worse, if there’s a chance things will be even more wrecked than they already are.” He slipped the time turner’s dainty chain around his neck and used his hands to ruffle his hair in desperation.

“Draco’s is absolutely right, Severus,” Dumbledore piped up. He seemed to have calmed down a bit and now sat in his portrait looking anxiously at Malfoy. “You don’t have to be so hasty in interfering with time. It’s a very dangerous game you’re playing at.” Draco didn’t know if he should feel relieved that Dumbledore seemed to think it was a bad idea also, or offended that he didn’t find him capable enough to do this.

“Albus, with all due respect, I’m Headmaster at the moment. Not only that but also Draco’s Godfather. So please, spare me one of your condescending lectures. If we don’t do this right now, we might not get another chance before our only hope for peace is dead,” Severus said. He looked at Draco who was still pacing closer and closer to the door. “Draco, please consider it.”

Malfoy took the time turner in his hands and looked down at it. He fiddled with it absentmindedly for a minute and was about ready to answer when the door slammed open.

“Headmaster, there’s been a problem with Peeves in the 5th floor corridor,” the voices of Alecto Carrow and her brother Amycus announced simultaneously. Draco felt the time turner turn twice in his hands as he tumbled to the floor due to the impact of the door. He could feel a strong, distant pulling at his navel and dizziness took over him. Malfoy felt a tinge of irritation towards the incapable Death Eaters before everything went white before his eyes.

—————

**September 1, 1995**

…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to comment!


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